


Memories

by syzygyy



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games)
Genre: Arkham Asylum, Batjokes, Batjokes Santa, Christmas, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27973913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syzygyy/pseuds/syzygyy
Summary: Some time before the events of Arkham Asylum, Batman decides to visit Joker in Arkham, on a very special day
Relationships: Joker (DCU)/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37
Collections: A very Batjokes Christmas





	Memories

_24th December, 11:47 pm, then_

That corridor has never been this long, Batman thinks. It also has never been this slippery or cold. It’s incredible how many things you notice when you do pay attention. Anything to stop pondering on what he’s about to do...He wonders if, maybe, he should just turn around and leave and give it all up. He stops thinking. There is no need to anymore, his mind is already made up.

He grabs the hem of the dark cape with a hand, whips it on the front of his figure and the snow that has gathered on his shoulders falls and quickly melts on the grey floor as he walks. He wraps it tightly around himself, protectively, as though afraid to let anything out...or, that is, to let anything _in_.

The guards part to let him through when he reaches the front of the interrogation room. He stands there, looks at it from the outside; he knows every inch of that room like his own pockets but suddenly it’s all new to him. An unexplored land.

He steps in. Joker is already in there, sitting at the further end of the table. The poor light in the room enlightens only a small part of his thin figure, but he can see he’s locked to it only by his right wrist; his left arm is clutched to his stomach instead, in a cast, supported by a sling that goes around the side of his neck. It looks so vulnerable. _I didn’t mean to break it._

He’s wearing his orange Arkham uniform, unbuttoned on the upper part to reveal a simple white shirt underneath. It’s very awkward to see him opened up like that, without his usual button up shirt, bowtie and jacket. It almost feels like...it’s too intimate. He holds himself a bit tighter in his cape and looks away, as though he is not supposed to watch. It’s still snowing outside, he notices through the only small window in the room...A nod of his cowled head and the guards behind him leave the room and close the door. They are alone now.

The sharp noise of the chair grating on the floor to get near to the table recalls his attention back to the sitting man. He’s under the light now and Batman can’t help but notice the unmistakable sign of a blackened eye painted on his pale face. There are also a couple of patches on his chin and on his left eyebrow and cheekbone to cover some cuts. But he doesn’t need these details; he knows very well he’s the cause of every single one of them. 

He doesn’t seem very surprised to see the Dark Knight there. His smirk widens slightly as he opens the palm of his healthy arm to indicate the unoccupied chair and invite him to take a seat. And Batman does.

”On second thoughts, I don’t think it’ll be necessary”

The green haired man is the first to speak. His voice is low and raspy, like he hasn’t used it much lately, something that Batman finds both curios and funny...There’s a glint of amusement and anger in his eyes, he deduces he hasn’t taken very well their last encounter, and without too many words, he already makes him understand that he’s not going to collaborate, whatever the reason he’s there for.

“Let me guess” he continues, beating his fingers rhythmically on the table “is it a bomb this time?”

His voice is clearer now, and he can recognize the obvious shade of mocking in it.

”You need a name or two to go and break a couple of pretty faces? A kitty on a tree branch? No no, I have it! You need desperate fatherly advice on a child you just rescued before putting him in your bird cage, god the smell that must be in there...” he cackles.

“Or maybe, who knows, you have simply come to gloat” he leans back in his chair, in a tone that suggests finality.

“I came to give you this” Batman says suddenly, without too much thinking. 

He lets out an arm from underneath his cape and puts something on the table. Joker follows his hand with his gaze. It’s a book; or better, an album. Batman carefully inspects the man, almost shyly. For some reason, he doesn’t want to lose any detail of his reaction. But he’s also afraid of it, because...he’s never done this before, not with someone like him.

He watches the dark pupils widen slightly inside the green, his head cocking on one side for a long moment...and then he looks back at him, deep into the blue eyes. There’s a slight frown on his expression, as though he’s trying to concentrate.

Until it hits him.

A hint of surprise in his pale features, in his eyes. It would have been imperceptible to everyone else. But not to him. It’s almost like...Has he forgotten about Christmas? No he can’t have...  
He’s looking down at the album on the table, with the curiosity of a child in a candy store and Batman almost has to bite his inner cheek to stop the smile threatening to appear on his face. He can see clearly he would have expected _anything_ but this. Because...It’s a present for him. Batman is here to give him a Christmas present, instead of being somewhere else with other company, _any_ other company, actually.

But suddenly, Joker bursts out laughing. It’s mirthless and it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, which remain as cold as the snow outside, and the atmosphere in the room freezes for several seconds. Batman feels the shift, it feels like a stinging wound somewhere deep within his chest and it doesn’t want it to be like that. Does Joker think he’s there just to mock him? His gaze drops and he looks at the book on the table.

“No one should spend Christmas alone, not even you” his voice comes out hoarse, barely more than a whisper, as though he is admitting him to himself.

But he needs to say it, he needs him to understand there are no games between them, no teasing, not tonight. He needs him to know that, despite everything, he _does care_. He’s wrapped in god knows how many layers but he feels so naked, transparent, he feels like he has to curl down in a ball not to be seen. But he knows Joker is still staring at him, trying to decipher him and whatever this is. He watches a pale hand slowly reaching for the book to bring it closer. It’s within the chain’s range, Batman wants him to look at it himself. He’s not too sure he’d be able to show it to him anyway.

”It says The Batman-“ Joker begins, slightly surprised.

”and The Joker.”

The green haired man considers him. There’s a curious grin on his face now, almost hungry when he looks back into the blue eyes. He seems to have lost his annoyance, he seems...genuinely intrigued by the uncharacteristic gesture of his rival. After one last look, he opens it and immediately chuckles to himself. It contains pictures of them, photographs, images taken from papers or from the internet. The first page is dated 24th of December of several years ago, when Batman was looking for a certain Roman Sionis...

“We did meet on a Christmas’ night...our first little dance”

Batman glares at him, but he’s amused by his choice of words.

”...You hired assassins to kill me...”

“I was just trying to get to know you! Well, no matter how disastrous it is, you never forget your first time, right?” he cackles.

He turns the page and more pictures appear, more anecdotes, more dates. He drives his fingers through all the side of the pages, there are at least 20 or so.

”Did you do this all by yourself? All grumpy holed up somewhere in your man cave, I’m sorry I-“ he laughs as he speaks, so hard that tears start to gather at the corners of his eyes.

He pats his hand on the table and throws his head back, laughing even more.

”I thought...you’d appreciated it...”

“I do, I do Bats...I-hohoho oh...you really get my blood pumping...” he gives him a grin and then goes back to the pages.

He goes page after page, lingering once in a while to remember a particular moment.

“Look what a handsome young man I was - I still am, mind you -” he gives him a finger and then uses it to indicate Batman in a picture “and you certainly have gained a size or two, look at your butt here”

He snorts. _Batman snorts_. And Joker lifts his head again to look at him, almost pleased. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to a laugh from the Batman. But to Joker is enough. Batman stares back and for a long moment there are no words between them. It’s like all the filters, all the protective walls are deleted and put down. And it crosses Batman’s mind... _I wish we could go outside there and enjoy this snowy night, as simple men, as something more than just enemies._ He wishes he could say it out loud, to let him know, but there’s no need to. He understands it all the same.

“In another life-“

“In another life we could walk past each other on the street without giving a single damn” he shakes his head, indicating between them with a finger “no...you see, _this_...this is everything that ever mattered. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, heh”

Batman considers his words and deep down he knows he’s right about them being connected in a unique way because of what they are...and that they wouldn’t simply _work_ the normal way...

“I understood it that night, when you jumped off that building to catch me...We are simply meant to be, you and I...Forever in love with undoing one another” he smiles, closing the book in front of him.

“Merry Christmas, Batsy” he says, placing his hand on it “Here’s to many more”  
  
  


_ 24th December, 11:59 pm, now_

Joker has kept updating the album throughout all the years, he notices. The asylum take over, the mess of Arkham City, it’s all in there. He smiles to himself as he leafs through it, remembering the night he gave it to him. He’s filled it with comments written in a spiky handwriting and a green highlighter, doodles, circles around his figure that point out how he _clearly_ gained weight through the years. A laugh escapes him, a real one, a genuine one. One he hasn’t had in years.

The last picture he holds in his trembling hand, he silently admits to himself, is one he would have never wanted to add. The album is now complete and he closes it, for the last time.

“Merry Christmas, Joker”


End file.
